Instrumentalist Andy Leftwich was born July 30, 1981, and grew up in Tennessee. He began playing the fiddle at the age of six, entering his first contest at seven and winning the National Championship for Beginners at the age of twelve.
By the time he was a teenager, he had appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and “Music City Tonight” with Crook and Chase, and had established a reputation as a winning contest fiddler throughout the Southeastern United States.
At 15, he achieved his high point in his contest career by winning Winfield, Kansas’s Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship, one of the most prestigious contests in the United States. At the same time, with mandolin and guitar added to his panel of musical instruments, Andy began playing professionally, and before he finished his teens, he had joined Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder in 2001.
In addition to 2005’s solo album, Ride, Andy has recorded two critically acclaimed albums as a member of Three Ring Circle (with dobro player Rob Ickes and bassist Dave Pomeroy), and built an impressive list of studio credits as one of Nashville’s top session players.
On October 15, 2021, Leftwich released the single “Pikes Peak Breakdown” (Mountain Home Music Company). Says Leftwich about the instrumental piece: “‘Pikes Peak Breakdown’ is a song I wrote with one thing in mind…Hold nothing back! I wanted a fast-paced, barn burner bluegrass song, with exciting solos, backed with some of the best pickers of our day. Bryan Sutton, Scott Vestal, and Mark Schatz help me out with this one, and I’m so thrilled to have a song that shows off their musicianship and gives them a chance to throw down. I named the song after the beautiful Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado, after playing there several years ago with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.”
In February 2024, Andy Leftwich, accompanied by a group of friends he pulled into the studio late 2023, released a breathtaking original instrumental called “Behind the 8 Ball.” The ensemble featured guitarist Cody Kilby (Travelin’ McCourys), banjo player Matt Menefee (Mountain Heart, Mumford & Sons) and bassist Byron House.
Discography:
Ride (Skaggs Family Records, 2003)
Bluegrass Hymns, with Wanda Vick, Bryan Sutton and Mark Burchfield (Green Hill, 2005)
Comfort & Joy, with Erin Bates (2015)
Instrumental Hymns (2016)
A Collection of Christmas Carols (2020)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.